Format in Instruction Manuals: Applications of Existing Research

Abstract

Research in cognitive psychology, instructional technology, and human fac tors applies to formatting complex instructions for equipment and procedures. Formatting includes typographic cueing of prose paragraphs and more graphic displays of text in flowcharts and structured writing. Format can improve both comprehension and the reader's access to selected material. While graphic displays may interfere with memorization, both typographic cueing and graphic displays can improve performance time and accuracy.

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